Mother Teresa: Take our congregation for example, we have very little, so we have nothing to be preoccupied with. The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is not a mortification, a penance. It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. This is the only fan in the whole house. It doesn't matter how hot it is, and it is for the guests. But we are perfectly happy...

I find the rich much poorer. Sometimes they are more lonely inside. They are never satisfied. They always need something more. I don't say all of them are like that. Everybody is not the same. I find that poverty hard to remove. The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

Time: What is the saddest place you've ever visited?

Mother Teresa: I don't know. I can't remember. It's a sad thing to see people suffer., especially the broken family, unloved, uncared for. It's a big sadness; it's always the children who suffer most when there is no love in the family. That's a terrible suffering. Very difficult because you can do nothing. That is the great poverty. You feel helpless. But if you pick up a person dying of hunger, you give him food and it is finished.

::clicking around these links

Not too much clicking this week. Just this one, that made me cry. And this one, that made me cry, too. And this one, because I totally think organized fabric is awesome.

::turning the pages of this book

I'm listening to Ann read to me on audible. The sound of the voice of a dear friend whenever I have a moment alone makes me ever so grateful for technology. It's really rather amazing.

::thinking thoughts as I go about my daily round

I can't tell you how many people have pointed out to me in the last 48 hours that I'm going to be a mother-in-law. Of course, I've long thought that one day I would, indeed, be a mother-in-law, so this comes as no startling revelation. I really want to be a good mother-in-law. Raise your hand if you have a good mother-in-law. Tell me about her? {please don't tell me about the not good ones.}

::creating by hand

Yesterday, more aprons and more jam. Today, some projects to take with us to Florida. Hopefully, later in the week I can finish my quilt. I'm waiting for invisible quilting thread to arrive.

::learning lessons in

mother-in-law-ing. Remember the Kimberly Hahn book binge of several weeks ago? I started there.

::encouraging learning

Just do math, people. Just do math!

::carefully cultivating rhythm

I have a list. I've carefully considered what needs to be accomplished when. I'm counting on no more huge life decisions from my children this week. And no more quick trips out of town. Let's just stick to the list, guys.

::begging prayers

Christian finished his first semester in college with a 4.0. We're both struggling a bit with the guidance department and the brick walls when we ask about help hurdling some obstacles. It seems beyond sad that he went in to talk about his future full of confidence that his hard work this semester had paid off and proven he was capable and he emerged defeated and sad. I'm so praying for a good mentor. And a math tutor.

::keeping house

Mary Beth, Stephen, and Nicky really helped me pull off a very pretty setting for The Proposal. And Nick warned everybody not to mess it up between now and Christmas. Oh, but that he could enforce that!

::crafting in the kitchen

It's the last seven days before the feast. I'm up for a bit of fasting. You?

::loving the moments

when I fall asleep snuggling with Sarah.

::living the liturgy

::planning for the week ahead

Stephen and Nicky get braces today at noon. Patrick gets his on Friday. Mary Beth's are being engineered. Apparently last week's appointment was just a warm-up. I still have shopping to do--the kind I have to do in person. Tuesday maybe I'll shop, after the plumber comes to talk about renovations. Katie has a basketball game Tuesday night. Nicky's birthday is Wednesday and we're all looking forward to a favorite visitor. Mike should be back in town then, too.Thursday is a Christmas Tea with my dear friend, Megan. There's a surprise in store for Katie on Friday. Then, it's Christmas...

I'm Elizabeth. I'm a happy wife and the mother of nine children. I grab grace with both hands and write to encourage myself and others to seize and nurture the joy of every day.

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